Holy Synod: blasphemy to think holy communion could spread viruses

It would be blasphemous to think that Holy Communion could spread viruses, but people were free to choose whether they want to receive it, the Church of Cyprus said on Wednesday.

In a statement on Wednesday, the Holy Synod argued that receiving Holy Communion from the same spoon as hundreds of others was safe for believers.

“It would be blasphemous to think that the body and blood of the Christ could transmit any disease or virus,” it said. “Christianity’s centuries-old experience has no single incident of such transmission to display.”

Christian Orthodox believers take the Holy Communion, a warm sweet red wine, from the same spoon used for everyone.